Why Do Speaker Drivers Blow Out?
Speaker drivers blowing out during use is a major problem in Sound Reinforcement systems and can waste no small amount of repair budget.
Heat Buildup
When too much heat accumulates, the speaker driver can burn and be damaged. This can happen for several reasons — for example, the amplifier has a higher output than the speaker driver's RMS wattage, causing heat to build up. For instance, the speaker driver has an RMS rating of 600 watts, but the amplifier delivers an output of 1,200 watts RMS, exceeding the driver's RMS rating.
Over Excursion
Over Excursion is damage caused by tearing in the speaker driver, because the amplifier's Peak wattage exceeds the driver's Peak wattage beyond what it can handle — for example, the speaker driver has a Peak rating of 900 watts, but the amplifier drives at full power of 1,700 watts.
Over-Adjusting the Equalizer
Adjusting the Equalizer in certain frequency bands in ways that don't suit the speaker's characteristics — for example, a low-frequency speaker such as a Subwoofer — can blow the driver if the tone is boosted with very high frequencies. Therefore, before adjusting the Equalizer, examine it carefully and thoroughly, or consult an expert.
These three cases that cause speakers to blow or be damaged are only the basics; there are still other cases that can cause a speaker to blow or be damaged, such as the environment of the usage area or the speaker's age. You can use this information to solve problems — from choosing equipment such as amplifiers and speakers, to configuring your current system to work efficiently — and it also helps reduce maintenance costs.